Pages

Friday, July 29, 2016

Silly title for a blog post, eh? I think so. The sad part? It's true. I had to spend more than half an hour this morning cleaning out my keyboard because it was clogged with cat fur. Now don't get the wrong idea. I don't let the cats live on my computer. Heck, I spend a lot of time trying to get them to leave me alone while I'm writing. It doesn't work, but I try.

Like right now. I've got two cats observing everything I'm doing. Why? Because they can. The black on is extremely interested in the freshly cleaned keyboard - don't you know that's where paws are supposed to go? He's also interested in the plastic bag he keeps tapping with his tail as he swishes it. All of the while, he's staring at me. I'm not sure what he thinks I'm going to do. It's not dinner time. Won't be for at least twelve more hours. Ah... now the pen I was using to jot down notes is in my lap because said black cat chose it as a toy. I also have smaller sheets of paper I have left over from a con where I did a 'write our own story' situation. It was a fun situation and everyone had a piece of paper where they wrote five words we could use to start a story or keep it going. I had more than enough paper, so a bunch of it came home with me. I use it for notes instead of buying sticky notes. Needless to say, some get lost. But that's another story. Right now, the black cat is pushing those papers across the desk in an attempt to ensure gravity does indeed work.

And...he's proven gravity does exist.

Then there's fast orange. We named him that because well...he's not very fast and DH had a can of Fast Orange cleaner in the garage. He's more like Garfield. He sits. He observes and he's cranky. He's also going on twelve years old. Anyway, he's to my left. It's like being surrounded by Halloween - orange and black. But I digress. Back to fast orange. He's on my left chewing on a notebook. Yes, chewing on it. Why? Probably because he can. I haven't added many notes to said notebook, so it's not super vital at the moment, but when it will be...he'll be there.

I've also got a dog on the couch near the desk. She's snoring. Gagging in her reverse sneeze sort of way and passing gas. It's a real party in my office.

With all of this said, is it no wonder sometimes that I don't get much done. I'm sure I'm not the only author with pushy critters and fur in places it doesn't belong. I can't be. But this got me thinking about shifters. When the wolf/panther/lion/etc is in his or her shifted form, they have to shed. I mean, what animal doesn't? I'd almost hate to be the author who has the lion shifter in my home and has to clean up after that shedded fur. Almost. I mean, if the lion looked like Chris Evans or James McAvoy...I might make a few exceptions.

Just sayin'.

So speaking of Shifters... here's a little about my latest shifter story, Finding His Roar:

Chris isn’t like the shifters at Sanctuary. Born in a zoo and on the run now
that he can shift, he’s looking for a place to belong. When he breaks down
outside of Cambridge, not far from the Sanctuary, he thinks he’s done for.
He’ll be caught, returned to the zoo or worse… He’s always been a survivor, but
even Chris has demons he can’t quite outrun. He’s being hunted. He’ll need some
help—if he’s willing to accept his fate.

Luke Stephens wants nothing more than to get over his ex-boyfriend. The lawyer
can argue cases with ease, but not the one that mattered. That is until he
meets Chris. The shifter provokes Luke and brings out his natural instinct to
protect. He’s intrigued and Chris is so handsome.

Will Luke be man enough for the shifter or will the danger come between them
before they can get the fire started?

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Three years ago, I wrote a short story for The Roses of Prose, another blog on which I’m a contributor. I liked the story so much I decided to expand it into a novella. Easier said than done. As most writers will tell you, it’s harder to rewrite than to start fresh. Still, I persevered.

Why? Because I’m fascinated by the idea of finding a New Earth. The story is set in the not-too-distant future, 2170. As predicted by scientists even now, Earth is using up its resources. Along with overpopulation stretching the limits of what’s left, we’ll need to find a new home. The United Earth Space Agency—a common cause finally united us—is sending astronauts to explore three Goldilocks planets. One, if not all three, has to be our new home.

credit: Mars One

So, how would astronauts prepare for a one-way trip to a new planet? The Mars One project provides a lot of information. In my story, we’ve already begun populating Mars and established an outpost on Titan, Saturn’s moon, from which the astronauts will leave on a five-year voyage. To save resources, they will become popsicles (aka, put into cryo-sleep).

What would motivate these men and women to leave everything they’ve ever known? Their families, their friends, their way of life? There’s no returning to Earth. Fame and glory seem too transient. A sense of adventure might motivate some, but would it sustain them through vigorous training? Selflessness? Doing something for the good of others? Possibly. Each person would have her/his reason. I concerned myself with the narrator, the team commander.

While delving into her life, her motivation, I thought about the early pioneers of the “new world.” Those who landed on Plymouth Rock, those who ventured farther inland and crossed the Appalachian Mountains, those who heeded the message “Go west, young man.” I’m sure each person had his/her own reason for leaving all behind.

Then I asked myself if I would go. Could I leave my husband, children, grandchildren? As much as I love adventure, my answer is no. A resounding NO. That’s the great thing about being a writer. In my imagination, I can do anything. In real life, not so much. But I can put myself in my character’s place. I can give her the fears, doubts, excitement I would feel if I could go.

What about you? Would you be a pioneer? Under what conditions?

Diane Burton writes science fiction romance, romantic suspense, and cozy mysteries. She blogs here on the 13th of the month, on The Roses of Prose on the 30th, and on her own blog on Mondays where she “muses” about topics as varied as baseball, vacations, and bucket lists.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction.
For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com

Monday, July 4, 2016

Who doesn't love animals?

At any given moment on Facebook you'll stumble across a picture, or a video, about some kind of animal.

I might have the best intentions to pop in for a quick minute on Facebook, and then find myself ten minutes later still mesmerized by videos of cute cats, funny dogs, or other wildlife, with little to no recollection of what I went to Facebook for in the first place.

Most people love nothing more than finding joy in the unconditional love of an animal. That's why it was a no-brainer for myself, and my four fellow authors, to choose the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as our charity to donate all profits for our upcoming anthology, Moon, Mist & Magic.

Why I love the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)

WWF's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.

They organize their work around six areas:

Food

Climate

Fresh Water

Wildlife

Forests

Oceans

To find out more about the World Wildlife Fund, or provide an additional donation, visit their website.

Why I love my Pets

If you've visited my website, or follow me on Facebook, by now you've met my writing assistant, Scruff. He tends to be a camera hog so he shows up all over the place. He's adorable, and he knows it.

Throughout the years, I've written essays about the adventures of my twins and our furry family members (including Beef, short for beefcake, our long deceased hamster. )

Why I love Animals in Stories

Most of my stories have some type of animal in them. I believe they add fun to the storyline and make my characters more believable. It allows them to reveal traits about themselves that they might not be able to with another person.

Why I love Shifter Stories

Although I've not yet written a shifter story, I've read some really good ones. You'll find a few in the Moon, Mist & Magic Anthology that are pretty awesome!

I think the first shifter story that caught my eye would be Twilight. After seeing "Jacob" in the movie, I had a hard time determining if I'd be 'Team Edward" or "Team Jacob".

Since then, I've found many other shifter stories that I love. What kind of paranormal creature do you love to read about?

Get ready to be enchanted by mythical beasts, magical creatures, and moonlit nights. Enjoy your favorite author, and perhaps discover someone new, in these five fantastic tales of paranormal romance woven with moon, mist, and magic…

Featuring stories by Maureen L. Bonatch, Abigail Owen,

J.C. McKenzie, Sharon Saracino & L.A. Kelley

What do you love about animals? Share your favorite magical story, or tell us about your pet!

About the Author:

Maureen writes stories in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania that boast laughter, light suspense and something magical in the hope of sharing her love of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary world. She writes Paranormal Romance and Fantasy.